Known face seal assemblies for use in constructions having relatively rotating components, such as track roller assemblies of tracked machines, final drives, etc., typically comprise a pair of confronting seal rings of metal or other durable, hard material. The seal rings rotate relative to one another, in face-to-face contact to provide a positive face seal, which retains lubricant and prevents foreign matter from reaching the internal bearing surfaces of the rotating assembly. Contact between the seal faces is maintained by a pair of resilient load rings that engage and press against each seal ring to thereby force the seal faces against one another. An example of such a seal assembly is described in commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,527,046, issued Jun. 18, 1996, to Billy R. Bedford.
Under certain conditions, the coefficient of friction between the seal faces may be higher than the coefficient of friction between a seal ring and its corresponding load ring, in which case relative rotation or slippage between one or both of the seal rings and its corresponding load ring may occur. Such slippage could occur, for example, if the faces of the confronting seal rings stick together due to icing or the like or if the engaging surfaces of the seal ring and load ring become lubricated. Slippage of the load ring relative to the seal ring results in a temporary loss of sealing protection, which can permit dirt and other abrasives to reach the internally lubricated bearings of the rotating assembly. In order to counter this problem, various designs have developed wherein there is a positive interconnection between load rings and the seal rings to resist the slippage at this interface. While this has been known to be a successful solution to the slippage problem between these two components, the slippage can then be transferred to the interface between the load rings and the respective housing. Once slippage has occurred in this region, leakage between the load ring and the housing is likely to occur.
This invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems that is set forth above.